Israelsen Receives ABC's Mark Blumenthal Herbal Community Builder Award

(AUSTIN,Texas,March11,2015)ThenonprofitAmericanBotanicalCouncil(ABC)announcesthatLorenD.Israelsen,presidentoftheUnitedNaturalProductsAlliance(UNPA),hasbeenselectedastherecipientofits2014MarkBlumenthalHerbalCommunityBuilderAward.ThisisthethirdawardofitskindtobepresentedbyABC.TheHerbalCommunityBuilderAwardisgrantedannuallytoanindividualintheherbalmedicinecommunitywhohasplayedasignificantroleincreatingasenseofcommunityamongherbalists,researchers,membersoftheherbandnaturalproductscommunities,andrelatedgroupswhoworkintheareaofmedicinalplants.ItisnamedafterABCFounderandExecutiveDirectorMarkBlumenthal.Amonghismanynoteworthyaccomplishments,since1991,IsraelsenhasservedasthepresidentoftheUnitedNaturalProductsAlliance(formerlytheUtahNaturalProductsAlliance),aglobalindustrytradeassociationdedicatedtosupportingcompaniesandconsumerscommittedtohigh-qualitynaturalhealthproducts.ItisespeciallyaptthatheistherecipientoftheMarkBlumenthalHerbalCommunityBuilderAwardfor2014,theyearinwhichtheherbalanddietarysupplementscommunitycelebratedthe20-yearanniversaryofthepassageoftheDietarySupplementHealthandEducationAct(DSHEA)of1994,forwhichIsraelsenwasintegraltoframingandseeingthroughintolaw.Israelsenearnedhisbachelor’sdegreeinpoliticalsciencefromUtahStateUniversity,afterwhichhestudiedatOxfordUniversity’sQueen’sCollegeJurisprudenceProgramintheUnitedKingdom.HereceivedhisJurisDoctorfromBrighamYoungUniversityinProvo,Utah.Mr.IsraelsenisanexpertontheregulationofherbsanddietarysupplementsintheUnitedStatesandinternationally.Hehasservedasanadvisortoorofficerinnumerousindustryandnonprofitorganizations,aswellasgovernmentagencies.Overthecourseofhisvenerablecareer,IsraelsenhasservedasvicepresidentandgeneralcounselfortheAmericanHerbalProductsAssociation,andheco-foundedandprovidedgeneralcounselfortheEuropeanAmericanPhytomedicineCoalition.IsraelsenalsohasactedasanadvisortotheNationalInstitutesofHealth’sOfficeofDietarySupplements,asanindustryliaisontotheFoodandDrugAdministration’sexpertadvisorycommitteeonephedra,andasanadvisoryboardmemberfortheOfficeofTechnologyAssessment’sWorkingGrouponDietarySupplementRegulation.Further,hewasanexpertpanelmemberforboththeInstituteofFoodTechnologists’2005FunctionalFoodReportandtheDepartmentofDefense/RANDstudyconcerningregulationofdietarysupplementsintheUSmilitary.“LorenisawidelyrespectedsourceofrationalperspectivesandinsightsintotheregulationofherbsanddietarysupplementsintheUnitedStates,”saidBlumenthal.“HeisaclosefriendandtrustedadvisortonumerouspeopleinandoutsidetheAmericanherbindustry,includingmanyresearchersandintegrativehealthcarepractitioners.Iamdeeplygratefulforhislong-termfriendshipandforthesupporthehasgiventosomanypeopleoverthepastthreedecades.Hehasreallybeeninstrumentalinhelpingtobuildasenseofcommunityamongmanyresponsibleelementsoftheherbcommunity.”“ToreceiveanawardnamedafteroneofmygreatmentorsforcontributingtothebettermentoftheherbalcommunityisasgreatanhonorasIcanimagine,”saidIsraelsen.“Weallfollowinthefootstepsandontheshouldersofsomanywhodevotedtheirheartsandmindstotheprotectionandadvancementofbotanicalmedicineanditstraditionsandculture.”“Beinghonoredasonewhohastriedtocarryonthattradition,inthehopeofbuildingtheherbalcommunity,warmsmyheartbeyondwords,”hecontinued.“MythankstotheAmericanBotanicalCouncilforbeingastrongandclearvoiceofourcommunityandforextendingthehandoffriendshipandrecognitionthroughthisaward.”“Lorenisoneofthoserarejewelsthatthisindustryishighlyfortunatetohaveinitsmidst.Hismeasured,thoughtful,andinsightfulapproachestotheissuesandchallengeswefaceonadailybasisreinforcenotonlyhisvalue—butalsohisvalues—tothegreatercommunity.TheUNPAstaffandallofitsmemberslaudthisawardandlookforwardtomanymoreyearsofhiswisdomandleadership,”saidFrankLampe,vicepresidentofcommunicationsandindustryrelationsforUNPA,whohasknownandbeenacolleaguetoIsraelsenformorethan27years.PastrecipientsoftheMarkBlumenthalHerbalCommunityBuilderAwardincluderenownedherbalistandauthorRosemaryGladstar(2012)andHerbPharmco-founderSaraKatz(2013).TheABCMarkBlumenthalHerbalCommunityBuilderAwardwaspresentedtoIsraelsenatthe10thAnnualAmericanBotanicalCelebrationandAwardsCeremonyonMarch5inAnaheim,California.TheABCeventoccurredduringtheNEXTInnovationSummit(formerlyNutracon)nutrition,naturalproducts,anddietarysupplementsconferenceandNaturalProductsExpoWest.TheABCBotanicalCelebrationandAwardsCeremonywasunderwrittenbygenerouscontributionsfromthefollowingmembersoftheherb,dietarysupplement,andnaturalproductsindustry:

AlkemistLabsAminTalati&UpadhyeChromaDexEuroPharmaHorphagResearchIndenaUSAMartinBauerGroupMegaFood

NaturalFactorsNutritionalProductsNewChapterNewHopeNaturalMediaPlusPharmaRFIIngredientsRyanTurnerSpecialtyTraditionalMedicinalsUnitedNaturalProductsAlliance